Upright piano



(No Model.)

W. H. BUTTON.

UPBIGHT PIANO No. 884,242. Patented June 12, 1888.

qw Lmemyam-U UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DUTTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

UPRIGHT PIANO.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 384,242, dated June 12,1888,

Application filed March 19, 1887.

T0 (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ILLIAM H. DUTTON, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improve ments in Upright Pianosofwhich the follow ing is a specification.

My invention is applicable in general to that class of pianos which aretechnically known as uprights, and in which the soundingboard properoccupies a vertical or approxii'nately vertical plane.

My invention is, however, especially appli-.

cable in connection with an upright piano invented by me, the upperportion or head ofthe framework of which is of skeleton or box-likestructure, in order to render said head ofsaid framework a musicallyvibratory framing,and to cause said head to embody tone conductorsopening through the top of the instrument, application for patent forwhich was filed October 9, 1886.

My invention is also applicable in connection with an upright pianoinvented by me, which is provided with an imperforate lid or cover, andthe top portion or head of the framework of which is, beneath saidcover, provided with channels or tone conductors having forwardly facingmouths, application for patent for which was executed by me, and filed,as Serial No. 230,5S0,contemporaneously with this application.

My invention is further applicable in con neetion with a certain uprightpiano invented by me, the front of the casing of which is paueled tocontain adjustable reverberating slats, and also provided with asounding deflector above the slats,-application for patent for which wasexecuted by me, and filed, asSerial No, 230,581 contemporaneously withthis ap plication.

The object of my present invention is the improvement of a musicalquality and tone of upright pianos in general, by the provision of asupplemental or front sounding board in the form of a sounding domeadapted to incase the action and to transmit and magnify the musicaltone from the vibration of the strings clarified, or filtered, so tospeak, from the sounds arising from the friction and percussion of theaction and the imperfect tones due to dust or action-noise,

Renewed February 20, 1888.

Serial No. 164,624. (No model.)

The foregoing objects lattain by a construction a good form of aconvenient embodiment of which is represented in the accompanyingdrawings and described in this specification, the particular subjectmatter claimed as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of anupright piano embodying my improvements, the sounding deflector andusual upper front panel being removed to expose the sounding dome whichconstitutes the subject matter ofthis application, and said dome beingpartly broken at the right side to exhibit its construction. The pianorepresented is one embodying the improvements set forth in myapplication for patent filed contemporaneously with this as Serial No.230,580 and hcreinbefore referred to. Fig. 2 is atrausverse sectionalelevation of the piano of Fig. 1, in the plane of the dotted linem a: ofsaid figure, Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the sounding domeremoved from the instrument.

Referring to my aforesaid application for a more particular explanationof the construction of that particular upright instrument to which mypresent invention is, in the aforesaid drawings, shown applied, andconfining this specification to a description ofonly such parts of theaforesaid piano as are common to other instruments to which my presentinvention is equally applicable,-A is the casing, which may be of anyusual or preferred charactor, and a are the sides thereof.

B is the main sounding board, which occu pies a plane slightly inclinedfrom the vertical, is stepped or fastened at its base in any usualmanner, and, as to its upper portion, is connected to the pin block 0which constitutes an integral portion and the front face of the head orupper portion of the framework of the instrument.

H is the key action, which may be of any preferred character; I are thekeys; and Jthe key bottom upon which the keys are mounted.

S is the sounding dome, which in its application to an upright pianoconstitutes the subject matter of this invention. This dome is composed.of such thin wood as sounding boards are usually made of, and ispreferably of the form represented in the drawings, that is to sayhaving a front wall 5, a beveled roof 8*, and check or side pieces 8"which, being connected with both, serve to retain the relative angularposition of the wall and roof.

Form, however, is notot' the essence of this invention, and the onlyrequirement of the dome, so far as its form is concerned, is that itshould incase the action and extend from the pin block as the point ofits upper attachment completely or practically across the breadth of theframework, from side to side of the casing, and down close to the keys.The mode of attachment is likewise immaterial, but the attachment mustbe of such character that the dome, although capable of removal, is yet,while attached, a permanent fixture within the instrument, having suchconnection with the pin block and sides of the casing as to readilyreceive and transmit the vibrations of the pin block, sides of thecasing, and instrument as an entirety. To the foregoing end I prefer toprovide the roof or upper portion of the dome with a single flange s, orwith a series of flanges, conforming to the plane of the front face ofthe pin block, and to provide other flanges s at the sides, throughholes in which, by the aid of wooden thumb screws, the desiredattachment may be effectuated.

Buttons may be employed as a substitute for the thumb screws, and otherand entirely different means for effecting retention may, of course, beresorted to.

Such beinga description of my invention, it is only necessary to addthat the dome serves to transmit and magnify the vibrations it receivesfrom the members with which it is connected; and that, being to thefront of the instrument and close to the player, it supplements theaction of the main sounding board, augmenting the volume of tone anddistributing it, so to speak, throughout the apartment.

It is perhaps well for me to explain that, in the application of thisinvention to a piano of the character described in my application forpatent filed October 9, 1886, the sounding dome is employed as asubstitute for the muffling or sound deadening dome or tone chestdescribed in said application, which is, of course, omitted when thesounding dome is employed. It is proper also for me to explain that thissounding dome is to be contradistinguished from the aforesaid mufflingdome or tone chest, in that this sounding dome is composed, as stated,of such thinwood as sounding boards are usually made of, while themuffling dome is, as stated in my foregoing application, formed of anysound-deadening material, or covered, lined, or felted with cloth orleather, so as to render it impervious to sound.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim 1. In combination with the casing of an up right piano, and withthe action contained in said casing, a sounding dome of thin soundingboard woodapplied in front of and inclosing the action, substantially asand for the purposes set forth. 7

2. In an upright piano, the sounding board in front of the action,formed as a dome and secured to the pin block at its upper portion andto the sides of the casing at its sides, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 3d day ofMarch, 1887.

J. BONSALL TAYLOR, WM. 0. STRAWBRIDGE.

